Santa Anita-Based ‘Free Animal Doctor’ Continues To Help Financially Challenged Pet Owners

Now entering its second year, Santa Anita-based Free Animal Doctor, a non-profit that provides free veterinary services to dogs and cats, has paid out more than $300,000 in veterinary care on pets based in Southern California and throughout the United States. Additionally, Free Animal Doctor will have spayed or neutered approximately 825 dogs or cats by year's end and will have vaccinated and/or micro-chipped more than half of them.

Free Animal Doctor (FAD), conveniently located in Santa Anita's parking Lot 7, opened its doors to the public on Sept. 15, 2020. FAD utilizes Crowdfunding to raise monies for specific pets and provides itemized cost accounting which is directed by each animal's attending veterinarian.

“During the past year, our relationships with the Pasadena Humane Society and the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society have blossomed,” said Sam Bernardo, FAD co-founder. “This is in large-part due to the fact that our respective missions complement each other. Both of these organizations refer us to individuals who can't afford their pet's unexpected veterinary care.

“We are also listed as spay and neuter alternatives on their websites. In return, we offer fund raising services to both PHS and SGVHS.”

Bernardo, a practicing attorney who is based in Sierra Madre, explained that through Crowdfunding, costs are limited to each specific veterinary procedure.

“Once the money is raised for each individual animal's procedure, no additional money is accepted,” he said.

Santa Anita's backstretch community has also benefitted from FAD, as the clinic has twice provided special days on which spay and neutering is available for just $25 per pet.

“As we had hoped, our spay and neuter clinics have also become popular with (animal) rescues and other non-profits,” said Bernardo. “For example, last month, we teamed up with a rescue sponsored by Kacey Montoya, a reporter with KTLA Channel 5, to provide a free spay and neuter clinic. And we have agreed to have similar clinics with two other Southern California non-profit rescues early next year.”

For more information on Free Animal Doctor, pet owners are encouraged to visit FreeAnimalDoctor.org, or call (626) 487-7129.

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Traditional Wall Calendar, Mathis Brothers Plush Giveaway Headline Santa Anita Opening Day Promos

With Santa Anita's 85th Winter/Spring opener fast approaching on Sunday, Dec. 26, on-track fans will again be treated to a number of promotions, headed by the track's traditional Wall Calendar giveaway and the Mathis Brothers Plush Toy Horse charity donation. The Wall Calendar is free with paid admission, while the Mathis Brothers Toy Horse is available by making a $20 donation to the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), which provides assistance to racing's retired Thoroughbreds.

Special early first post time for a blockbuster opening day card is at 11 a.m. Three Grade 1 stakes, the $300,000 Runhappy Malibu, the $300,000 La Brea and the $300,000 American Oaks, along with the Grade 2, $200,000 San Antonio, the Grade 2, $200,000 Mathis Mile and the Grade 2, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes, will highlight what figures to be an unforgettable day at The Great Race Place.

Following is a complete schedule of important Opening Day times & promos Sunday, Dec. 26:

–Admission Gates Open at 9 a.m.

–General Admission, $10, includes General Parking, Program, Open Seating in Grandstand, Sirona's Sports Bar, Seabiscuit Court & Grandstand Paddock Room

–Experience Dining Offerings including a FrontRunner Menu curated by Celebrity Chef Jeremy Fall, a Silks (formerly Turf Terrace) menu featuring Santa Anita Classics and the Santa Anita BBQ in the Loge Box Seats & Trackside Dining. All packages include a reserved seat.

–Infield General Admission, $5, includes Parking & Program

–Children 17 & under admitted free with paid adult

–Preferred Parking, $6, Valet Parking, $10

–First post time at 11 a.m.

–Traditional Wall Calendar, free with paid admission

–Mathis Bros Plush Toy Horse available with $20 donation to CARMA

–Craft Beer & Cider Tasting on Grandstand Apron

–Infield Winter Family Fun Zone, including Pony Rides, Face Painting, Games & more

–Free Online “ShowVivor,” available at santaanita.com

Santa Anita will be open for a 10-race card on Monday, Dec. 27, with first post time at 11:30 a.m. The track will be idle on Dec. 28 & 29th and will then be open for a four-day week from Thursday, Dec. 30 through Sunday, Jan. 2.

Bring Proof of Vaccination: Per the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Mega Event Guidelines, fans 12 and older, must provide proof of vaccination status prior to entering Santa Anita Park. Alternatively, fans can show proof of a negative test result (taken within 72 hours from date of event). For more information on safety protocols, please visit santaanita.com/health.

Fans are encouraged to make reservations and purchase tickets for Opening Day events at santaanita.com/events. For additional information, please call (626) 574-RACE.

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Report: Medina Spirit Samples Will Go To More Than One Lab

The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that test samples from Medina Spirit, who died suddenly on Monday, will be tested by multiple laboratories. The University of California-Davis laboratory will conduct the actual necropsy, but writer John Cherwa revealed samples will be sent to labs outside the set for “a fresh set of eyes and compare to the conclusions arrived at UC Davis.”

Medina Spirit collapsed following a timed workout at Santa Anita Park for trainer Bob Baffert, and died quickly with no obvious outward sign of anything amiss. In these cases of “sudden death,” Cherwa writes that more tests and evaluations may be needed as compared to deaths as a result of musculoskeletal injuries or known illness. This could mean the complete findings could take as long as two or three months.

The LA Times also noted interest in the case by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who called for a “thorough and transparent examination” into the horse's death. Feinstein was one of the elected officials who put pressure on the racetrack during the 2019 spike in equine fatalities at Santa Anita.

Read more at the Los Angeles Times

 

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CHRB: Medina Spirit Samples Will Be Preserved After Necropsy, Per Standard Procedure

After the untimely death of Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit earlier this week, the California Horse Racing Board informed media that the colt's body would undergo a necropsy — the animal form of an autopsy — as per CHRB policy for all equine deaths that happen on sanctioned properties. According to Dr. Jeff Blea, equine medical director for the CHRB, that procedure will include toxicology, forensics and tissue sampling. Blood and hair samples were removed from the colt's body and in the minutes after the colt's death, Blea said veterinarians on-site were planning to try to obtain a urine sample from the body as well.

Some readers have since wondered whether any of the samples taken as part of the procedure may be preserved for future testing. According to a statement from the CHRB made to the Paulick Report Dec. 8, that is part of standard protocols for all equine necropsies in the state.

“The CHRB has a post-race retention policy for official post-race samples,” said CHRB spokesman Mike Marten. “Under Rule 1859, samples are frozen and retained for possible retrospective analysis. The samples from Medina Spirit have been retained.

“Additionally, regarding separate necropsy samples, fresh/frozen tissues are usually kept for three months, Formalin fixed tissues for five years, and paraffin blocks and slides forever.”

The final report on the horse's death will be made public.

Medina Spirit had just completed a five-furlong workout Monday morning when rider Juan Ochoa felt a change in the Bob Baffert trainee just past the wire and began pulling the horse up. Blea said the colt, owned by Zedan Stables, had already fallen and died when attending veterinarians got to him. Ochoa was uninjured.

Roughly 15 percent of on-track deaths in California are these so-called “sudden deaths” which are not connected to an musculoskeletal injury or illness and happen with no outward signs of anything amiss. Experts suspect many of them are attributable to cardiac problems, but the exact cause can be elusive. Necropsies in these cases can sometimes identify a physical abnormality in a horse's heart, but sometimes the veterinary pathologist is unable to find anything unusual.

Read more about what the goals of a necropsy program in this 2017 Paulick Report feature.

It remains unclear whether The Stronach Group will conduct an independent investigation apart from the CHRB's fact-finding surrounding the horse's death.

“We are awaiting the results of the CHRB investigation and we will wait until the conclusion of that process,” said Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for 1/ST Racing. “We are, however, providing any and all information we have to the CHRB.”

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